Interlock.



O B. GALLOW,

IN OOOOOO K.

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1,102,318, Patented July 7,1914.

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Q I o I ym/Wm G. B. CALLOW.

INTERLOOK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1911. 1 102,318. Patented July 7, 1914. 7% 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w I' III, II it UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CECIL 1B. CALLOW, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 G. A. EDWARD KOHLER,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1914..

Application filed September 29, 1911. Serial N 0. 651,937.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CECIL B. CALLow a subjectof the King of Great Britain, residing at 51 York Mansions, Prince ofWales Road, Battersea, London, England, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Interlocks, of which the fo lowing is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawin forming a part of this specification.

idy invention relates to improvements in interlocks. In practice thereare many instances where it is desirable to operate normall independentlcontrolled devices in sync 1I'0I1lSII1 and w iere it is of the utmostimportance to maintain the devices 1n step at all times. For example, itis often desirable to so operate a number of printing presses throughwhich is run a continuous web. Obviously under such conditions the presscontrollers must be operated in synchronism to maintain the presses atthe same relative speeds at all times to prevent undue tension or slackof the web as it passes from one machine to another. I

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a simple means whichmay be used to effectually insure synchronous operatlon of normallyindependent devices. Y

It is a further object of my invention to provide an interlockingmechanism which may be readily and expeditiously rendered eifective andineflective.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be hereinafterclearly and fully set forth.

For the purpose-of more fully disclosing the nature and characteristicfeatures of my invention, I shall describe the embodiment thereofillustrated in theaccompanying drawings. It should of course beunderstood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodimentor application thereof i lustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of part of p the device shown in Fig.1 and Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 Fig. 2.

The device selected for the purpose of illustration comprises threesimilar automatic contact devices of a conventional form which areparticularly suited for use as master controllers for motor operatedprinting presses. It may be assumed that these one of the same and onlybriefly describe the parts thereof which areold.

The device 1 includes a solenoid winding 5 mounted in a suitable magnetframe 6 secured to the panel 4. Thiswinding is provided with a movableplunger 7, carrying two sets of contact brushes 9 9 and .10 -10. Thecontact brushes 9 9 are adapted to slide over series of contacts 11-11mounted upon adjacent faces of vertically disposed parallel supportingbases 12-12 suitably secured to the panel 4. The brushes 1010 areadapted to slide over series of contacts 1313 mounted on the adj acentfaces of vertically disposed parallel bases 1414. These brushes andtheir cooperat- =ing contacts may control either directly or throughsuitable intermediary instrumentalities the circuits of the drivingmotor or motors of one of the machines. The contact brushes are movedupwardly over the contacts upon energization of the solenoid winding. Inpractice it is desirable to stop and hold the contact brushes indifferent positions and for accomplishing this the plunger 7 is providedat its rear with a series of teeth 16 with which engages a pawl 17. Thepawl 17 is fulcrumed to a bracket 18 secured to the panel at and isnormally pressed by a spring 19 into engagement with the toothed portionof the plunger. With this arrangement the ascent of the brushes may bestopped at any time by deenergization of the solenoid winding 5 and theplunger 7 automatically locked against return movement by the pawl 17For disengaging the pawl from the toothed portion of the plunger topermit its descent, a solenoid 20 is provided upon the rear side of thepanel 4. The plunger 21 of this solenoid 2 inoasie is provided with atail rod 22 carrying a collar retained in place by nuts 24. The collar23 is adapted to engage and rock a bell crank lever 25 fulcrumed on asuitable support and connected to the pawl 17 by a link 26. Thearrangement is such that when the solenoid 20 is energized the bellcrank lever is rocked in a direction to withdraw the pawl 17 fromengagement with the teeth of the plunger 7, thus leaving the plungerfree to descend and move the contact brushes carried thereby downwardlyover their respective series of contacts.

I shall now describe the means illustrated for interlocking the severaldevices to insurc synchronous operation thereof.

Continuing the description of the device 1 the magnet frame thereofcarries two depending brackets 27 and 28 which may be secured thereto inany suitable manner as by bolts 27 and 28 The'brackets are disposed onopposite sides of the plunger 7 andsupport a transversely extendingshaft 29 revolubly mounted therein. In practice the shaft may besupported in any preferred form of bearings. I prefer however to providethe form of bearing shown in Fig. 2. This bearing consists of a ring 80set into a suitable recess in the bracket 27 and re tained in place by ascrew 31 threadedinto the bracket with its head overlapping said ring.The shaft passes through the bracket and ring 30, the portion thereofwithin the ring 80 having a similar ring 32 fixed thereto; The rings 30and 32 are provided with a ball race for the reception of balls 33. Thisprovides a very simple and effective form of anti-friction bearing forthe shaft. Shaft 29 carries a pinion 34 and a disk 35 the former beingloosely mounted thereon and the latter being fixed thereto as by meansof a pin 36. The pinion 34 is confined between the fixed disk member 35and a collar 37 fixed to the shaft as by means of a pin 38. Pinion 34meshes with a series of teeth 40 on the front of the plunger 7, saidteeth forming a rack extending longitudinally of the plunger. A thumbscrew 41 is provided for locking the pinion 34 to the disk member 35 andin consequence to the shaft 29. This screw is provided with a portionthreaded through the pinion with a knurled head 42 for turning the sameand a pin projection 43 adapted to project into an orifice in the diskmember 35. With this arrangement the pinion and disk member may bereadily locked and unlocked by merely turning the screw 41 to insert orwithdraw the pin projection thereof from the opening in the disk member.When the pinion and disk member are locked together any reciprocation ofthe solenoid plunger will result in revolving thepinion and shaft 29whereas with the pinion released from the disk reciprocation of thesolenoid plunger will merely cause the pinion to revolve upon the'shaftwithout imparting any move ment to the latter.

The other two devices 2 and 3 are provided with similar mechanisms. Theshafts of the several devices may be connected in any preferable manner,or they might be made integral if desired. As illustrated the shafts areconnected by pipe sections A secured thereto by pins 45. This forms arigid connection between all of the shafts and in effect produces asingle continuous shaft for all of the devices. With the arrangementjust described, the several controlling devices may be readilyinterlocked to insure an absolute synchronous operation thereof bymerely locking their respective pinions to their corresponding diskmembers thereby in effect locking all of the pinions to the same shaft.Under these conditions it is obvious that no one of the plungers can bemoved without a corresponding movement being imparted to all of theother plungers, since movement of any one of the same would betransmitted through the pinions and shaft to all of the remainingplungers and to precisely the same degree assuming the pinions and racksto be alike. This of course insures absolute snychronous control of theseveral machines controlled by the different devices. On the other handwhen independent control of the machines is desired it is only necessaryto turn the screws 34 to unlock the several pinions from theircorresponding disk members whereupon as before stated, the pinions arefree to revolve upon the shaft without imparting any rotation thereto,thereby entirely eliminating the interlock between the various devicesand leaving the same free forindependent operation.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Incombination, a plurality of devices having separate power operatingmeans for operating the same independently of one another and mechanicalinterlocking means therefor, including a revoluble shaft and pinions.

2. The combination with a plurality of devices having separate poweroperating means and having reciprocating parts, of means occupying afixed bodily position for mechanically interlocking said reciprocatingparts of said devices to insure synchronous operation thereof by theirrespective operating means.

i 3. In combination, a plurality of devices having separate poweroperating means for operating the same independently of one another, arevoluble shaft, a plurality of pinions loosely mounted upon said shaftand each meshing with teeth on one of said devices and means for lockingsaid pinions to said shaft to insure synchronous operation moaere ofsaid devices by their respective operating means.

4. The combination with a plurality of devices having independentoperating means and having reciprocating parts, of interlocking meansfor said reciprocating parts occupying a fixed bodily position andhaving means for directly engaging said reciprocating parts to effectpositive connection thereof,

5. In combination, a plurality of separately operable reciprocatingmembers, and means for interlocking-said members to-move in synchronismincluding rotatable members directly engaging and operated by saidreciprocating members and means connecting said rotatable members.

6. In combination, a plurality of reciproeating members, a revolubleshaft, a plurality of pinions loosely mounted on said shaft and meshingwith teeth on said reciprocat ing members and nieans for locking saidpinions to said shaft to insure synchronous operation of saidreciprocating members.

7. Incombination, a plurality of solenoid operated devices, a pluralityof pinions, each meshing with rack teeth on the plunger on one of saidsolenoid devices and means for operatively connecting said pinions tomechanically interlock said solenoid plungers.

8. In combination, a plurality of solenoids, a revoluble shaft, aplurality of pin- &

ions mounted on said shaft, each meshing with rack teeth on the plungeron one of said solenoids and means for rendering said shafts and saidpinions effective and ineffective as interlocks between said solenoidplungers.

9. In combination, a plurality of solenoid operated devices, a revolubleshaft, a plurality of pinions loosely mounted upon said shaft, eachmeshing with a rack on the plunger of one of said solenoids and meansfor locking said pinions to said shaft to mechanically interlock saidlunger.

10. In combination, a p urality of solenoid operated devices, arevoluble shaft, a plurality of pinions loosely mounted upon said shaftand each meshing with a rack on the plunger of one of said solenoids andmeans for locking said pinions to said shaft to mechanically interlocksaid plungers, said means including a plurality of members fixed to saidshaft each adjacent to one of said pinions and devices for releasablylocking each of said pinions to one of said fixed members.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

CECIL B. GALLOW. Witnesses:

WILLIAM OLIVER, A. Mon'rn CALnoW.

